1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communication technologies such as electronic mail (e-mail), voice mail, and facsimile (fax) mail messaging. Particularly, the present invention relates to systems for seamlessly integrating communications to facilitate access to electronic mail, voice mail, and fax mail messages via multiple single access points.
2. Description of the Related Art
Communications technology today allows individuals to send messages to one another from virtually any location in the world at virtually any time of day. The variety of communication modes (e.g., telephone, computer) and communication media (e.g., e-mail, voice mail, fax mail) available today allows individuals to choose one appropriate for the circumstances. For example, a sales representative in London who needs to contact a home office in Boston may choose to call the home office at 8:00 AM local time knowing that no one will be in the office to answer the call, but that voice mail is available so a message may be left for the appropriate party. Alternatively, the sales representative may choose to send e-mail to the appropriate party.
In general, message senders today may select from a variety of communication media while message receivers are limited to the option selected by the message sender. If the sender uses the telephone to leave a voice mail message, the message receiver is required use a telephone to retrieve the voice mail message. If the sender uses a computer to send an e-mail message, the message receiver is required to use a computer to retrieve the e-mail message. In the voice mail example, it may be the case that, on the particular day the voice mail message was left, the intended receiver has access to a computer terminal and modem, but does not have access to a telephone to retrieve the voice mail message. In the e-mail example, on the day that the e-mail was sent, the intended receiver may have access to a telephone, but may not have access to a computer terminal and modem to read the e-mail message. In both instances, the message receiver may be unable to retrieve the message because the available communication mode may not be used to retrieve the message. Furthermore, even if the message receiver has access to a telephone, a computer, or some other communication device, the receiver may prefer using one device over the others. For example, the receiver may spend most of his working day on a computer and may therefore, prefer to retrieve all of his inbound messagesxe2x80x94regardless of the originating communication mediumxe2x80x94using his computer.
The inability to alter the message medium after a message has been sent (or to use a communication mode other than the one selected by the sender) unnecessarily burdens both message senders and message receivers. Senders and receivers may be required to select a medium prior to communicating so the parties are assured the communication will be received in a timely manner. If circumstances for the receiver change at any point following selection of the medium and the receiver is unable to notify the sender of the change, the receiver may risk missing the sender""s communication because the message may not be accessible using an alternate communication mode. In addition, the inability of a message receiver to retrieve all inbound messages using a single communication mode or device results in additional burdens. Receivers are inconvenienced when they are required to switch, for example, between the telephone to retrieve voice mail messages and the computer to retrieve e-mail messages.
Technologies have been introduced that address the inconveniences imposed by widespread use of different messaging media. For example, Text-To-Speech (TTS) technology allows written messages to be heard by a message receiver. However, message receivers are generally required to integrate this technology into their own customized telecommunications/computer environments. Messages in differing media (e.g., e-mail, voice mail, fax mail) have not been seamlessly integrated into a single, universal mailbox with capabilities for same-media and cross-media notification and responses.
The present invention addresses the limitations in current communications technology that require receivers to retrieve messages in accordance with a predetermined communication medium or in accordance with the communication mode selected by senders. The present invention is a seamlessly integrated communications system that combines e-mail, voice mail, and fax mail messages in a universal mailbox with capabilities for same-media and cross-media notification and responses. The universal mailbox supports cross-media messaging so all inbound messagesxe2x80x94regardless of the originating communication mediumxe2x80x94may be retrieved by a message receiver using a single access device or communication mode such as a telephone or computer. Cross-media notification capabilities allow a message receiver, for example, to be paged when a new e-mail message arrives or to get an e-mail message when a voice mail message arrives. Cross-media responding allows a message receiver, for example, to send a voice mail message in response to an e-mail message, send an e-mail message in response to a voice mail message, send a fax in response to an e-mail message, etc.
The universal mailbox serves as a single access point for communication media such as e-mail, voice mail, and fax mail and allows message receivers to access their messages using a single communication mode or device. In a first communication mode using a standard telephone, receivers may listen to voice mail messages, redirect fax mail to a fax machine, or xe2x80x9clistenxe2x80x9d to e-mail messages. E-mail messages are automatically reformatted or converted to a voice mail format through a text-to-speech conversion process. In a second communication mode using a computer and modem, users may playback voice mail messages, view fax mail messages, or read e-mail messages. Messages are automatically reformatted or converted into the appropriate format (e.g., xing protocol.)
The present invention also provides an alternative platform from which to deliver newsworthy and up-to-date information. Using a standard telephone (telephone access), users may listen to the latest stock quote prices, news stories about competitors and customers, and sports score updates from favorite sports teamsxe2x80x94information generally available only via on-line databases. Message reformatting or conversion is done automatically by a telecommunications or remote access (on-line) information service provider (collectively, access services) that deliver inbound messages so message receivers need only specify a preferred communication medium to take advantage of the features and functionality of the present invention.
The present invention offers a variety of features to both xe2x80x9csendersxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9creceiversxe2x80x9d of messages. Senders are users who address communications to the universal mailbox. Senders use a particular communication mode (e.g., telephone, computer/modem) to send messages. Initially, messages are routed to and stored in a mailbox (i.e., message repository) compatible with the sender""s communication mode/medium. For example, messages sent via the telephone may be stored in a voice mailbox. Messages sent via a computer and modem may be stored in an electronic mailbox.
Receivers are owners of the universal mailbox and are the users to which the individual voice mail, fax mail, and e-mail messages are addressed. For a receiver, the universal mailbox serves as a single message repository from which the receiver may retrieve voice mail, fax mail, and e-mail messages. To take advantage of the universal mailbox, the message receiver indicates a preferred communication medium by selecting options that define rules to be applied automatically by the service provider or access service to inbound messages. For example, a receiver may, by selecting certain options, define a rule to request that messages initiated via the telephone be stored in a voice mailbox and forwarded to an e-mail mailbox for later viewing. Alternatively, a receiver may, by selecting certain options, define a rule to request that messages initiated via a computer/modem (i.e., e-mail messages) be stored in an e-mail mailbox and forwarded to a voice mailbox for later retrieval. Any reformatting or conversion of the message that is required is performed automatically as part of the forwarding operation. Receivers and senders may also select options for defining rules to send and receive notifications of incoming messages. Although messages may be stored in and/or forwarded to different-physical locations, from the message receiver""s viewpoint, there is one universal mailbox (or message repository) that he or she may access to retrieve inbound messages.
To use the universal mailbox of the present invention, the receiver selects filter and forward options to define rules applicable to inbound messages. As messages addressed to the receiver arrive at the access service (which facilitates delivery of the message), the receiver""s rules are applied so all forwarding and conversion of messages (if necessary) may be performed automatically. In addition, notification rules, if defined, are applied so the receiver may be alerted to the incoming messages. The receiver then uses the appropriate communication mode (e.g., telephone, computer) to retrieve the inbound messages. For example, a receiver may dial into a voice mailbox with a standard telephone and listen to voice mail messages, redirect fax mail to a local fax machine, or xe2x80x9clistenxe2x80x9d to e-mail messages (telephone access.) Alternatively, a user may dial into an e-mail mailbox with a computer and playback voice mail messages, view fax mail messages, and read e-mail messages (computer access.)